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Words That Start With Z

Dictionary words beginning with the letter Z, each with its definition.

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139 Words

  1. 1 zone An area or region marked off by a particular feature, purpose, or restriction.
  2. 2 zero The number 0; the quantity representing none at all.
  3. 3 Zealand The largest island of Denmark, home to Copenhagen.
  4. 4 zombie In folklore and fiction, a reanimated corpse controlled by magic or driven by a mindless urge to attack the li...
  5. 5 zip A fastener made of two rows of interlocking teeth pulled together by a sliding tab; also called a zipper.
  6. 6 zoom To move very quickly, often with a humming or rushing sound.
  7. 7 Zimbabwe A landlocked country in Southern Africa, formerly known as Rhodesia.
  8. 8 Zurich Switzerland's largest city, a major banking and financial centre, sitting at the northern tip of Lake Zurich.
  9. 9 Zach A short, informal form of the male names Zachary or Zachariah, also used as a surname.
  10. 10 zinc A bluish-white metallic chemical element (symbol Zn, atomic number 30) that is somewhat brittle at room temper...
  11. 11 Zen A school of Buddhism, strongest in China and Japan, that emphasises sudden insight reached through meditation...
  12. 12 Zoe Bare biological existence, as distinct from a person's particular way of life or social identity.
  13. 13 zhang A traditional Chinese unit of length, equal to ten Chinese feet.
  14. 14 Zeus In Greek mythology, the king of the gods, ruler of the sky and thunder.
  15. 15 Zimmerman A surname of German origin, meaning "carpenter" or "one who builds rooms."
  16. 16 Zionist A supporter of the movement to establish and support a Jewish state in the historic land of Israel.
  17. 17 Zambia A landlocked country in Southern Africa, formerly known as Northern Rhodesia.
  18. 18 Zack A short, informal form of the male names Zachary or Zachariah.
  19. 19 Zion A name for Jerusalem, or for the land of Israel, especially as a spiritual homeland or promised place.
  20. 20 Zac A short, informal form of the male names Zachary or Zachariah.
  21. 21 zebra A wild African horse-like animal with black-and-white stripes.
  22. 22 zoning Local laws that control how land and buildings in a given area may be used.
  23. 23 zhou A thick rice porridge, also called congee, eaten across China and other parts of Asia, often for breakfast.
  24. 24 Zelda A feminine given name of Germanic origin, shortened from Griselda.
  25. 25 Zeppelin A large, cigar-shaped rigid airship, especially the type built in Germany in the early 20th century.
  26. 26 Zu A lesser deity in Akkadian mythology, depicted as a monstrous bird.
  27. 27 zeal Strong, energetic enthusiasm for a cause, goal, or belief.
  28. 28 zodiac The band of sky that follows the sun's yearly path, traditionally divided into twelve constellations or "signs...
  29. 29 Zulu A member of the Zulu people, a Bantu ethnic group centred in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa.
  30. 30 zipper A fastener made of two rows of interlocking teeth joined and separated by a sliding tab; the same thing as a z...
  31. 31 Zachary A male given name from Hebrew, the standard English form of Zacharias, Zachariah, and Zechariah.
  32. 32 ze A gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun, used as an alternative to "he," "she," or singular "they."
  33. 33 Zhao A Chinese surname and ancient kingdom name, from Mandarin Zhào (趙/赵).
  34. 34 za Slang for pizza.
  35. 35 Zagreb The capital and largest city of Croatia.
  36. 36 Zara A feminine given name, a modern variant of Sarah also linked to Arabic zahra ("flower").
  37. 37 zee The American English name for the letter Z.
  38. 38 zenith The point in the sky directly overhead an observer.
  39. 39 zoned Designated as part of a particular zone under planning or land-use rules.
  40. 40 Zaara A variant spelling of Sahara, also used as a given name.
  41. 41 Zackary A less common variant spelling of the male given name Zachary.
  42. 42 Zafar A surname and given name of Arabic or Persian origin, meaning "victory."
  43. 43 zag A sharp turn in the opposite direction, especially as the second half of "zigzag."
  44. 44 Zahra A feminine given name and surname of Arabic origin, meaning "flower" or "radiant," an epithet of Fatima.
  45. 45 Zaire The former name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, used from 1971 to 1997.
  46. 46 zak Slang for money, especially a small sum such as sixpence.
  47. 47 Zaki A surname of Arabic origin, from an adjective meaning "chaste" or "pure."
  48. 48 zale Any moth belonging to the genus Zale, a group of night-flying moths in the family Erebidae.
  49. 49 Zamani A surname of Persian origin.
  50. 50 Zamboni A machine that resurfaces ice rinks by shaving, cleaning, and re-flooding the surface with a thin layer of wat...
  51. 51 Zambrano A surname of Spanish origin with Basque roots, common in Ecuador.
  52. 52 Zamora A city and province in Castile and León, Spain, also a surname derived from the place name.
  53. 53 Zan A diminutive of the feminine given names Susan or Suzanne.
  54. 54 zander A large freshwater fish related to the perch, native to European rivers and lakes and prized by anglers.
  55. 55 Zandra A feminine given name, a variant of Sandra.
  56. 56 Zane A male given name transferred from a surname, popularized by the American writer Zane Grey.
  57. 57 zany Wildly comic, eccentric, or amusingly outlandish in behavior or style.
  58. 58 Zanzibar An island region of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean, formerly an independent sultanate.
  59. 59 zap To hit or destroy something suddenly with a burst of energy, electricity, or force (often used loosely, includ...
  60. 60 Zapata A surname of Spanish origin, most notably borne by the Mexican revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata.
  61. 61 zapatera An olive that has spoiled or gone past its prime during curing, often bruised or damaged.
  62. 62 Zappa A surname of Italian origin, most notably borne by the musician Frank Zappa.
  63. 63 zapping The act of hitting, destroying, or heating something quickly, as by an electric shock or a microwave.
  64. 64 Zarina A feminine given name of Tatar and Persian origin, related to a word meaning "gold."
  65. 65 Zaza A member of an Iranian-origin ethnic minority living in eastern Turkey, or their language.
  66. 66 zealot Someone so committed to a cause or belief that they pursue it with extreme, often unreasonable intensity.
  67. 67 zealous Filled with energetic enthusiasm or eagerness, especially for a cause or duty.
  68. 68 Zeb A short form of male given names such as Zebadiah, Zebedee, Zebulon, or Zebulun.
  69. 69 zed The British and Commonwealth name for the letter Z.
  70. 70 Zedd A surname, also known as the stage name of the German-Russian DJ and record producer Zedd.
  71. 71 Zeek A surname, an Americanized spelling of the German surname Seek or Sick.
  72. 72 Zeeland A coastal province of the Netherlands, also the name of towns in Michigan and North Dakota.
  73. 73 zeitgeist The defining mood, set of ideas and preoccupations of a particular period in history, as shown in its culture,...
  74. 74 Zeke A nickname for the given name Ezekiel.
  75. 75 Zeng A Chinese surname, from Mandarin Zēng (曾).
  76. 76 Zeno Describing a process broken into an endless series of smaller and smaller steps within a fixed span of time or...
  77. 77 Zenon A surname and male given name, a variant of Zeno derived from Ancient Greek.
  78. 78 zephyr A gentle, mild breeze.
  79. 79 zeroes Informal name for a decade running from a year ending in 0 to one ending in 9, most often the 2000s.
  80. 80 zeros Informal name for a decade running from a year ending in 0 to one ending in 9, most often the 2000s.
  81. 81 zest The outer, colourful peel of a citrus fruit, grated or peeled off for its flavour.
  82. 82 zeta A letter of the Greek alphabet (Ζ, ζ), corresponding roughly to the English "z".
  83. 83 Zev A male given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "wolf."
  84. 84 Zeynep A feminine given name of Turkish origin.
  85. 85 Zhan A Chinese surname, from Mandarin Zhān (詹).
  86. 86 Zhen A Chinese surname, from Mandarin Zhēn (甄).
  87. 87 zheng A long Chinese plucked string instrument, also called the guzheng, played flat on a stand.
  88. 88 Zhenya A unisex Russian and Ukrainian given name, a diminutive of Yevgeny or Yevgenia.
  89. 89 Zhivago A surname and male given name, made famous by the title character of Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago.
  90. 90 Zhong A Chinese surname and place name, from Mandarin Zhōng (忠).
  91. 91 zhu An ancient Chinese unit of weight, historically used for small coins, roughly equal to the weight of about a h...
  92. 92 Zhukov A Russian surname, most notably that of Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov, a celebrated World War II commander.
  93. 93 Zia A Native American people of a pueblo in New Mexico, known for their pottery and their sun symbol.
  94. 94 Ziegler A surname of German origin, an occupational name for a brickmaker or tiler.
  95. 95 zig A sharp turn in one direction, especially as part of a back-and-forth zigzag movement.
  96. 96 ziggy Moving in a zigzag pattern.
  97. 97 zigzag A line or path that goes sharply from side to side in alternating directions.
  98. 98 zilch Nothing at all; zero.
  99. 99 zillion An extremely large, unspecified number.
  100. 100 Zim An unincorporated community in Minnesota, named after a local lumber worker surnamed Zimmerman.
  101. 101 Zimmer A surname of German origin, meaning "room," originally an occupational name for a carpenter.
  102. 102 zin Short for Zinfandel, a variety of red wine.
  103. 103 Zina In Islamic law, sex outside of marriage, covering both adultery and premarital sex.
  104. 104 zing Lively energy, enthusiasm, or excitement.
  105. 105 zinger A sharp, witty remark, especially one meant as an insult or comeback.
  106. 106 zipped Closed or fastened using a zip.
  107. 107 zippo Nothing at all; used for emphasis when someone might have expected something.
  108. 108 zippy Full of energy and enthusiasm; lively.
  109. 109 Zips A historical region in northeastern Slovakia, formerly a province spanning parts of Hungary and Poland.
  110. 110 zit A pimple, especially one on the face.
  111. 111 Zito A surname of Italian origin.
  112. 112 zloty Poland's currency unit, made up of 100 smaller units called groszy.
  113. 113 Zo An indigenous people living in parts of Myanmar and north-east India.
  114. 114 zod Slang for someone considered a loser or generally uncool.
  115. 115 Zoey A feminine given name, a phonetic spelling of Zoe, from Ancient Greek meaning "life."
  116. 116 Zohar A foundational work of Jewish mysticism, traditionally attributed to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai; also used as a g...
  117. 117 zoinks Used to express sudden surprise, alarm, or fright.
  118. 118 Zola A surname of Italian origin, most notably borne by the French writer Émile Zola; also used as a feminine given...
  119. 119 Zoloft A brand name for the antidepressant medication sertraline.
  120. 120 Zoltan A Hungarian male given name derived from a word related to "sultan."
  121. 121 Zooey Resembling a zoo, or crowded and chaotic like one.
  122. 122 zookeeper Someone whose job is to look after and care for animals in a zoo.
  123. 123 zoological Relating to animals or to the scientific study of animals.
  124. 124 zoologist A scientist who studies animals and animal life.
  125. 125 zoology The branch of biology concerned with animals — their structure, behaviour, evolution, and classification.
  126. 126 zooming The sound, or the act, of moving very fast.
  127. 127 zoot A boldly cut, oversized suit with wide, padded shoulders and high-waisted, tapered trousers, popular from the...
  128. 128 Zorba A grade of scrap metal made mostly of shredded aluminum, left over after steel and iron are removed from crush...
  129. 129 Zorn A surname of German origin, meaning "anger" or "wrath."
  130. 130 zorro A South American fox-like wild dog, more closely related to wolves than true foxes.
  131. 131 Zosia A Polish feminine given name, a diminutive of Zofia (Sophia).
  132. 132 Zou An indigenous people living along the border between India and Myanmar.
  133. 133 zucchini A long green summer squash with edible flesh and skin, known as a courgette in British English.
  134. 134 Zucker A surname of German origin, meaning "sugar," originally an occupational name for a sugar merchant.
  135. 135 Zuckerberg A surname of German Jewish (Ashkenazic) origin, most famously borne by Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg.
  136. 136 Zuma A surname, most notably that of South African politician Jacob Zuma.
  137. 137 Zumba A branded fitness workout that mixes Latin American dance moves with aerobic exercise, usually done in a group...
  138. 138 Zuri A unisex given name, popular in African and African American communities, meaning "good" or "beautiful" in Swa...
  139. 139 Zweig A surname of German or Yiddish origin, meaning "branch" or "twig," most notably borne by the Austrian writer S...